Pipes which are used in dwellings, in commercial buildings or in industrial plants and which carry steam for steam heat, hot water, cold water, chemicals or petroleum products and the like are generally provided with an exterior layer of insulation. Such pipes may be formed of copper, steel, aluminum, plastic, rubber or other like materials. This exterior layer of insulation frequently comprises jackets which are wrapped about the pipe. These jackets are generally applied in segments which abut one another. Each segment comprises a generally cylindrically shaped block of insulation having a centrally disposed, axially aligned channel adapted to receive the pipe. Each segment is slit along its axial length so that the pipe may pass through the split and reside within the central channel. An overlapping flap is used to draw the slit portion together and to seal it. Preferably, the outer edge of this flap is secured against the outer surface of the insulation segment to provide the desired seal.
During construction of a building, the pipes are often exposed to great extremes of temperature, ranging from far below 0.degree. F. to above 100.degree. F. Such temperature extremes may also be experienced by the pipe after installation during times that repairs are required. Under such repair or construction conditions, the workers must apply the insulation while wearing gloves or other protective materials. It is generally very difficult for the workers to grasp the release liner which normally covers the adhesive on the flap of the insulation segment to remove it for sealing of the flap. In addition, with known release liners, the adhesive is sufficiently tacky to make separation of the liner from the adhesive very difficult, and this is especially true when the worker is wearing gloves or other protective materials. As a result, a great deal of time is lost during construction or repair while the worker attempts to remove the release liner during the application of the insulation. Such lost time greatly increases the cost of the construction and reduces the amount of work that can be done under extreme weather conditions.